My name is Matty Tait and my journey at Martyn Fiddler began in May 2022; spoiler alert (?!), I’m still here.

I was originally hired for a two-month marketing placement to assist with the organisation of the anual Isle of Man Aviation Conference. During my placement, I was assigned various duties and responsibilities which helped me to expand my knowledge of marketing and business aviation in an interesting and engaging manner.

As many of my generation know – Generation-Z, one of the biggest struggles for university students is graduating only to discover that the job vacancies in your preferred industry require at least 2 years’ work experience in a similar role. This is why I was so excited to see the advertisement for the placement role at Martyn Fiddler. I had the chance to jump straight into a workplace and no prior experience was required.

The Isle of Man Aviation Conference was both daunting and exciting; I had never been to a professional event before let alone help organise one. I worked with the marketing team to design promotional material, manage delegate attendance, and tend to the logistics of the conference itself and its associated networking events. It was a time sensitive, pressured environment which I found challenging at times, but I learnt the importance and benefits of good time management, problem solving and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. These are all important lessons that can only be learnt through on-the-job experience.

I was lucky enough to have my temporary contract made permanent. I now work part-time hours alongside my degree which I am incredibly grateful for.

The Martyn Fiddler team continue to support me in my first office role and go out of their way to make me feel comfortable and welcome. They are understanding and flexible when it comes to working around my university hours which means I have the huge benefit of being able to ‘earn as I learn’. On top of this I am offered training in-house to provide invaluable industry knowledge and experience which I would never receive in the classroom. I am challenged to reach my full potential and I am truly looking forward to what the future holds within the company.

I would love to see more businesses being as open-minded as Martyn Fiddler have been with me. Graduates need more companies willing to take a chance and invest in them. I understand that it may be a ‘quick fix’ to employ someone who already fits the mould, but ultimately, we (Gen-Z) will be the leaders of the future, and it’s our shoulders the future security of the workforce will rest on. It’s important to invest in Gen-Z now and keep a steady wave of younger people entering the industry so we are given the time needed to learn from those with the experience and expertise, to ensure we progress to be the best industry leaders we can be. Plus by the time I get to the end of my degree I will already have those all-important two years’ experience under my belt!